comment

ROCKLAND COUNTY, N.Y. - Police are investigating a scammer who took a 79-year-old grandmother for $4,000.

The Ramapo Police Department received a report on Wednesday from the woman, who said that she had received a phone call from a suspect pretending to be her granddaughter, claiming she had been arrested and needed $4,000 bail.

The victim then spoke to another suspect during the same phone call, who said she needed to purchase $4,000 in gift cards at Walmart to secure her granddaughter’s release.

Police said the woman proceeded to purchase the gift cards, and gave the card numbers to the suspects over the phone. The victim then contacted her granddaughter and after speaking to her, realized she had been scammed.

“The Ramapo Police want to caution residents about these types of scams. The people making the calls can sound very convincing but once they start demanding personal information or asking you to go get gift cards and money orders from retail stores you are being conned,” police officials noted. “You should never give out any personal information over the phone or make any money transfers to unknown people. The police will never ask anyone to post bail over the phone or with gift cards.”